Sherrill Joseph, Author at Blackbird Writers

Photo by Samer Daboul

Sherrill Joseph Asks Are You Confused by Red Herrings and MacGuffins?

Post author:Sherrill Joseph
Post published:June 13, 2022
Post comments:18 Comments

Sherrill Joseph is the author of the Botanic Hill Detectives mystery series for ages 9 to 12. You can find out more about her on her website www.sherrilljoseph.com, or by clicking here, read her last post here, and find her books here. If you are a reader, writer, or filmgoer, and your answer is, “YES,” then I say, “Perfect!” Aficionados of crime, thriller, mystery, whodunits, or suspense stories want to be confused by red herrings and MacGuffins. Why? Because when used effectively as plot devices in those genres, red herrings and MacGuffins help writers craft compelling stories, leaving an adrenaline-fueled…

Sherrill Joseph Asks Cursive Writing, Yea or Nay?

Post author:Sherrill Joseph
Post published:January 24, 2022
Post comments:31 Comments

Sherrill Joseph is the author of the Botanic Hill Detectives mystery series for children. You can find out more about her here, see her books here, and read her last post here. “So, why are you torturing my son by teaching him cursive?” That was the first question I, a staunch proponent of formal Zaner-Bloser cursive instruction, received from the frowning parent of one of my fifth graders at Back-to-School Night in September 2012. Not exactly the auspicious start I hoped for that evening. But the question reveals the ongoing divide in America: Should students be taught cursive handwriting anymore?…

Sherrill Joseph asks, “Mystery or . . . Suspense?”

Post author:Sherrill Joseph
Post published:September 13, 2021
Post comments:28 Comments

Sherill Joseph is the author of the Botanic Hill Detectives Mystery series for middle grades readers. You can find out more about her here, see her books here, or read her last post here. The famous film director Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (1899-1980) proudly bore the title the “Master of Suspense.” Suspense surpasses mystery in making my stomach lurch and my heart pound. Interestingly, suspense can be both terrifying and exhilarating. "Sacramento, California, USA - March 21, 2012: A 1998 USA postage stamp with a portrait of movie director and producer Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980). Suspense is defined as “a…

Sherill Joseph Asks What New Habits Will You Keep Post-Pandemic?

Post author:Sherrill Joseph
Post published:May 10, 2021
Post comments:17 Comments

Sherill Joseph is the author of the Botanic Hill Detectives Series for middle school kids. You can find out more about her here, see her books here, and read her last post here. All of us have spent over a year now dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in our own ways. Perhaps like me, you have watched others—from a safe distance—in order to gauge how they have coped compared with yourself. I know I have learned some new, beneficial habits from admirable neighbors, family, and friends that have helped anchor me amidst the chaos and tragedy that have unfolded worldwide. …

Sherrill Joseph asks What were your Favorite Childhood Books?

Post author:Sherrill Joseph
Post published:December 28, 2020
Post comments:5 Comments

We've got another new Blackbird making her debut post. Meet Sherrill Joseph. You can find out more about her here, and see her books here. If you’re like me, you were inspired to become a better reader and a blossoming writer from one or more books you read as a child. As a ten-year-old, I could usually be found curled up on my bed after school, engrossed in my favorite series, the Nancy Drew Mysteries. Along with my book, I had my go-to snacks handy, namely, an apple and a generous portion of Fritos. A napkin helped me keep the…